Symposium a Case of Conflict of Cultures: End- Of-life Decision Making among Asian Americans

Our culture is the “lens” through which we see the world. It provides an explanatory model for the way we think and the way we behave. It indicates our values and norms, even when we are not deliberately thinking about them. It shapes the logic we have for explaining life experiences and influences our decision making. Culture is especially relevant during key life events, such as births, marriages and deaths. Culture is clearly salient during end-of-life decision making. This essay presents a case example of a conflict between two cultures. One culture is the U.S. mainstream culture, as illustrated in a federal statute, the Patient Self-Determination Act. This statute provides legal guidelines for health care providers dealing with individuals’ end-of-life decision making. Lawyers and health care providers refer to these guidelines in their counseling and treatments, apparently assuming that these guidelines are in the best interest of those they serve. The other culture is Asian American culture and its approach to end-of-life decision making. As this es-